Picnic box



Feb. 10, 1953 B. v. PERKINS 2,627,970

\ PICNIC BOX Filed Feb. 20. 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR 54/191 M 'PE/PK/ N5 ATTORNEY Feb. 10, 1953 B. v. PERKINS 2,627,970

PICNIC BOX Filed Feb. 20. 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 a ak I I 16 i i I r I 1 l 48 32 I I 1 /.30 I l I I l I I I I INVENTOR Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICNIC BOX Burl V. Perkins, Arkansas City, Kaus.

Application February 20, 1952, Serial No. 272,548

This invention relates to a novel construction of picnic box having internally disposed rack means for supporting the various items required for picnics including a plurality of individual containers for a plurality of food items from which portions of each food item can be served to make up a picnic plate comprising a complete meal.

Another object of the invention i to provide a picnic box wherein the rack containing the various articles is completely enclosed in a sanitary manner for storage and transportation of the picnic box and whereby a separable cover member may be removed for exposing the rack portion containing all of the food items and utensils.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a picnic box including a housing formed by a cover having a separable bottom and which bottom provides a support for the rack structure and'to which the rack structure is rigidly secured so that the rack structure is completely exposed upon removal of the cover from the bottom.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the, following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section showing the fully assembled picnic box;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view oi the picnic box taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view looking toward one end of the box and with the cover shown in section;

Figure 4 is a similar view looking toward the opposite end of the box;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the picnic box taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5- -5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the individual food containers with the cover thereof shown partially opened, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fully assembled picnic box.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel picnic box in its entirety is designated generally Hi. and includes a removable cover member, designated generally having a top wall l2, oppositely disposed side walls i3 and oppositely disposed end walls M. The picnic box If!v also includes a substantially flat bottom it which is detachably secured to the open bottom of the cover Ii by a plurality of latches :6. The latches l6 are of conventional construction and 6 Claims. (Q1. 206-4) each includes a lever member I? which is pivotally mounted at It and which has a bail I9 pivoted to the lever. Each bail I9 engages a stationary keeper 20 which extends outwardly and downwardly from an edge of the bottom 55. Each bail I9 is pivoted at 2| to a lever ll 50 that the lever pivot It is disposed between the keeper 2|! and bail pivot 2|. The legs of each bail it move across the axis of the pivot I8 as the lever is swung to and from a locked position as illus-' trated in Figure 7. Each of the side walls i3 and end walls M are provided with a latch means it for latching the ends and side edges of the bottom i5 to the open bottom of the cover I to form the casing of the picnic box it. The picnic box it is provided with two carrying handles 22 each of which is in the form of a bail. The ends of the handles 22 are pivotally connected at 23 to the sides I3 of the cover A rack structure, designated generally 22 is mounted on and secured to the upper side of the bottom l5 and is completely enclosed by the cover H and bottom It: when the cover is latched to the bottom. The rack structure 24 includes upright corner posts 25 which are secured to and rise from the bottom [5 near to but spaced from the corners and side edges'thereof. 'One end section 26 of the rack 24 is provided with an upright center post 2'1, as best seen in Figures 2 and 5, which is secured to and rises from the bottom It. The center post 2'! is cross-shaped and is formed by four angle members. The rack section 26 is provided with two corresponding end posts 28 which are disposed in alignment with one another and with the center post 21 and which are of T-shaped cross section, preferably being formed by two angle members and being disposed with the legs of the T extending inwardly toward the center post 21. The rack section 26 is provided with two pairs of transversely aligned side posts 29, one pair of which is disposed in transverse alignment with the corner posts 25 and the other pair of which is disposed in transverse alignment with the inner posts 28.

As best seen in Figure 5, four drawer supporting flanges 30 each of which is U-shaped in top plan, as illustrated in Figure 5, and each of which is of angular cross section, are mounted on and secured to the bottom l5 and disposed to open outwardly of the sides thereof, said drawer flanges 3|! each having a horizontal bottom flange portion 3| disposed against and parallel to the plane of the bottom I5. The drawer flanges 30 are disposed in the squares formed by two of the corner posts 25, the center post 21, the end posts 28 and the side posts 29 and are each adapted to support a covered food container or drawer 32, four of which are thus accommodated in the bottom half of the rack section 26. The rack section 26 is likewise provided with four upper drawer flanges 33, corresponding to the drawer flanges or supports 3!. The drawer flanges 33 are disposed directly above the drawer flanges 39 and are suitably secured to the two corner posts 25 of the rack section 26 and are each likewise secured tothe center post 21, to one of the posts 28 and to at least one of the side posts 29. The horizontal portion of the drawer supports 33 support four additional drawer type food containers 34, corresponding to the four bottom food containers 32, and which are disposed directly thereabove.

The other section 35 of the rack 24 is half the size of the rack section 26 and extends from side-to-side of the rack but is only half as long, measured longitudinally of the rack, as the rack section 25. The rack section 35 is provided with a pair of straight bottom drawer supports 33 of angular cross section which are suitably secured to the bottom i5. One of the drawer supports 36 extends from and between the two corner posts 25 of the rack section 35 and the other drawer support 3textends' between the two side posts 25 which are disposed adjacent said corner posts 25. The, bottom drawer support 35 slidably supports a drawer type food container 37 of the same construction as the food containers 32 and 34 but, which is of twice the length of said food containers 32 and $4. The rack section- 35 is provided with an upper pair of drawer supports 38. corresponding to the drawer supports 36, one of which is secured at its ends to the two last mentioned corner posts 25 and the other of which is secured at its ends to the two last mentioned side posts 25 and to the intermediate post 28, which is disposed between said side posts 28. A. drawer type food container 39 is supported in the upper half of the rack section 35 by the two supports 38 and like the food container 3'! is mounted for sliding movement transversely of the bottom and may be removed froni the rack 24 fromv either side thereof.

The rack 24 is provided with a rectangular top frame to of angular cross section the corners of which. are secured to and supported on the upper ends of the corner posts 25. The top frame 40 includes an upstandingside 4| rising from the outer edge of the other, horizontal side 42 of said frame. The side l2v of the top frame 49 is adapted to support a tray 43 which is restrained from longitudinal or transverse movement by the upstanding outer sides a! and which is removably supported in the top of the rack 24 and forms a top wall for the rack sections 28 and 35, when in an applied position.

A pair of metal strap members 44 are disposed one above the other, above one end of the bottom [5 and have inturned ends 45 which are secured in any suitable manner to the corner posts 25 of the rack section 25, to mount the straps '44 beyond the outer end of the rack section 26. The intermediate portions of the straps 44 are supported and braced by a leg 45 which is secured to each of said straps and has a lower end secured to the bottom l5, as by means of the fastenings 41. The straps 44 and legs 46 combine with the end of the rack 24 to which said straps are secured to form a dish or plate holder, designated generally 48, adapted to sup- 4 port a plurality of dishes or plates 49 on edge, as illustrated in Figure 1.

As best illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, three upright wall members 50, SI and 52 are secured to and project outwardly from the outer end of the rack section 35. The wall member 5i! is secured at its inner edge to one corner post 25 of the rack section 35 and the intermediate wall member 51 and inner wall member 52 is secured to the upright side of the drawer supports 36 and 33 which are connected tothe corner posts 25 of the rack section 35. The outer wall 53 and intermediate wall 5| are connected at their outer edges by a transverse wall 53 and two partitions 54 extend between the walls and 5| to combine therewith and with the transverse wall 53' to form three compartments including an inner knife holding compartment 55, an intermediate fork compartment 56 and an outer spoon compartment 57 in which knives, forks and spoons are supported in substantially upright positions, as indicated at 58 in Figure l. A pair of strap members 59 extend between the outer edges of the walls 5! and 52 and are secured thereto as by fastenings B0 to combine with said walls and the end of the rack from which the walls extend to form a napkin holder 51, adapted to contain a plurality of folded napkins, not shown. A pair of metal strap members 62 are secured at corresponding ends thereof to the inner wall 52 and at their opposite ends to the adjacent corner post 25 by fastenings so. The bowed intermediate portions of the strap memers 62 are supported by a leg 83 which is connected to each of said strap members by a fastening to and which has a lower end resting on and suitably secured to the bottom it. The strap members 62, the inner wall 52 and portions of the drawer supports 38 and 33 which are secured to said Wall 52 combine to form a holder 6A for a stack of nested cups, not shown.

Each of the drawer type food containers 32, 3t, 37 and 39 is provided with a sliding lid or cover 66 for closing the open top 67 thereof, as

illustrated in Figure 6. Each lid 68 has depending, downwardly converging sides 68 the bottom servings onto the dishes or plates 49.

edges of which engage sufdciently under the outwardly flared side edges 63 to prevent the cover to from being displaced upwardly and disengaged from the container so that a cover can only be removed or opened by a sliding movement longitudinally of the container. One end wall of each of the containers 32 and 34 is provided with a handle in for removing said containers from the rack section 26. Both end walls of the containers 3! and 39 may be provided with a handle 78, so that said last mentioned containers may be removed from either side of the rack 25.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that hot or cold food in bulk may be stored in the drawer like containers 32, 3d, 3? and 39 to be carried in the picnic box it and it will be readily obvious that some or all of these containers may be insulated with a suitable heat insulation, not shown, to maintain foods either hot or cold at substantially the temperature of the foods when placed in the containers. The tray 43 may be used to hold sandwiches or sliced bread. It will thus be readily apparent that a complete meal may be readily served from the picnic box ill with the portions of foods contained in bulk in the different drawer like compartments being served therefrom in individual It will also be apparent that cups and all the necessary utensils are additionally available in the picnic box 10. One of the longer containers 3'! or 39 may be used for holding a beverage in a suitable container such as a thermos bottle and one or more of the smaller containers 32 or 34 may contain sugar, cream, relishes or the like and stored therein in separate jars or receptacles, or loosely, as desired, except for the cream.

It will thus be apparent that a clean, sanitary and convenient structure has been provided capable of readily handling all of the foods, utensils and other articles necessary to serve a picnic group of eight persons. The picnic box i is preferably formed of a light weight metal, which, when completely disassembled, may be readily cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition. The bottom is preferably provided with depending foot members ll on which the picnic box may be supported with the bottom IS in a slightly elevated position relatively to a supporting surface.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A picnic box of the character described comprising a casing including a cover member and bottom, said cover member including a top wall, side walls and end walls, latching means detachably latching the bottom directly to the cover with the side and end walls of the cover resting on and rising from said bottom, a rack structure fixed to the upper side of the casing bottom and disposed within the cover, when the cover is latched to the bottom, said rack structure including a plurality of spaced upright posts and a plurality of drawer supports of angular cross section connected to said posts and combining to define a plurality of drawer receiving chambers, and a plurality of drawer-like containers mounted in said chambers and slidably supported by the drawer supports for movement into and out of engagement with the rack structure, said containers being retained in the rack structure by the cover when said cover is latched to the bottom.

2. A picnic box as in claim 1, said rack structure including a section having tiers of drawer receiving chambers at each side of the rack structure each chamber accommodating therein a drawer-like container, said upright posts ineluding a center post of said rack section of crossshaped cross section and posts of T-shaped cross section disposed in longitudinal alignment with the center post and combining therewith to form stops for limiting inward movement of the drawer-like containers disposed within said rack section.

-3. A picnic box as in claim 2, and said rack including a second rack section having drawer supports extending from side-to-side of the rack structure for slidably supporting superposed drawer-like containers of a length corresponding to the width of the rack structure and which are supported in said second rack section for sliding movement into or out of the rack structure from either side thereof.

4. A picnic box as in claim 1, said upright posts including corner posts, a top frame supported on and secured to said corner posts, and a tray removably supported by the top frame and forming a removable top wall of the rack structure.

5. A picnic box as in claim 4, said rack structure having strap members at one end thereof extending transversely of the bottom and forming a plate holder, and said rack structure having a plurality of longitudinally and transversely spaced holder portions at its opposite end forming utensil, napkin and cup compartments, the plate holder, utensil holder, napkin holder and cup holder being disposed beyond said corner posts and beyond the ends of the tray when supported on the top frame.

6. A picnic box as in claim 4, said top frame having an upstanding outer wall surrounding the lower portion of the tray and retaining the tray against sliding movement longitudinally and transversely of the rack structure.

BURL V. PERKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 490,341 Duval Jan. 24, 1893 1,510,103 Perkins Sept. 30, 1924 2,419,587 Parks Apr. 29, 1947 

